


In the Shadows and Aftermath of Civil War

by littlesolo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6768808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesolo/pseuds/littlesolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*POST AN DURING CIVIL WAAR SCENES* <br/>*SPOILERS*</p><p>Black Hill and family moments through out the film.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Funeral

Maria is notified right after Sharon and Kevin know.  Sharon messages her before she tells even Steve.  She'd been her Aunt Peggy too.  

Maria sees Sam nudge Steve during the service from where she sits in the back with Natasha.  Natasha felt Steve shouldn't be alone, and she's probably right, but all her thoughts are with Sharon and Kevin.  Sharon, whose eyes remind her of Aunt Peggy's.  Kevin, who's a mess fumbling with his hands and standing straight as a board.  The pair of them look pulled together to most, but Maria knows them well enough to see past the respect for their Aunt.  Peggy Carter made her mark on history, and right now they aren't thinking about how to make theirs, only that when they do, she will no longer be there to see it.  

According to Nick, Maria has been to "too many funerals for someone her age" and she's inclined to agree with him but this one is different.  Not just because Peggy had adopted her into the Carter family when she was ten.  It wasn't until she was twelve that she met Sharon and Kevin.  

But no, it's not because it's family.  It's because she thought she'd had more time.  She'd put off visiting Peggy because she hated to see her there but her time ran out.  Gone in her sleep.  How they'd all like to go.  She hadn't said her goodbye.  She's never been very good at them when they involve someone she cares about.  Natasha had watched her as she awkwardly tried to think of something to say to the body in the coffin.  Because that's all it was.  Peggy was gone.  Four walls could barely ever contain her, what hope did the coffin have.  No, Peggy spirit was gone, so there was no one left but Natasha to hear the words she'd wished she'd said.  Had she made Peggy proud?  It was the question that still went around in her mind.  

So she busies herself with being there for Sharon and her brother until even Natasha is raising an eyebrow at her.  Then there's that same lingering question again.  But she can't help that.  All Maria can do is lead in a way that would make Aunt Peggy give her a firm nod, followed by a wink.  


	2. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda while on lock down

Fear.  Wanda understands fear.  She understood it well before she got her powers.  

It used to be a name.  A name painted on the side of a shell that they watched as their world crumpled.  Then it was life without her other half.  That faint buzzing in her mind, was it his voice?  From another universe still there to guide her?  Probably not, but it was a notion she took comfort in for a time after Pietro's death.  He had been older by twelve seconds and never let her forget it.  He also promised to never let anything happen to her.  He's not here for her now.  Not here to share the uncertain stares and fear that comes off others like a stench.  All of them, even Steve, are afraid.  

Well, not everyone.  

Not Vision.  

She wonders what he sees.  He doesn't see the little girl who once tried to fly by going as high as she could on a swing.  Her powers let her do that now, but it's different from how she thought.  It's more of a launch and catching yourself before injury.  He doesn't see who she was as a little girl, or who she was with her brother, no one does.  She's afraid that while the others fear her powers, that side of her is shrinking.  There is no one left to remember.  Now all anyone will associate with her is a red aura and fear.  


	3. Back Where It's Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha returns to Maria's side.

Well that hadn't lasted long.  The secrecy of their little hideaway that is.  Currently they have a little red witch on their couch.  Seeing Wanda confined in that high tech straight jacket had sent a shiver down Natasha's spine and she'd lunged forward to free her of it.  Natasha had feared that would be her fate as well, but seeing it done to the young witch was something else entirely.  Given what side she'd taken, Wanda had little reason to trust her, but the moment she was free her arms had gone around her neck in a hug.  So Natasha had taken her to the one place she considered safe.  

* * *

 

Maria was always safe, but in Wanda's case she was also neutral ground.  Ross depended on Maria's intel and sources for his little plans at peace to work.  As if his past with them made for a good working relationship with SHIELD.  Personally, Maria couldn't wait for Banner to get back and butt heads with the General.  For now, she did her best to push through citizenship papers for Wanda, just as she had been since Ultron, seeing that as possible vulnerability for the girl from the beginning.  Sharon kept in touch and Victoria kept her updated with how things were progressing.  For the time being, she had nothing to worry about other than the two women in her home.  

Liho loves Wanda and curls up against her side as she sleeps.  Maria ignores the occasional shuddered breath from the young girl.  She had nearly argued herself hoarse with Ross on how restraining the girl didn't help anything.  No one except Natasha knew of her presence there.  Maria had been there in the shadows as always.  Sharon passing information and leads to Maria and Maria sharing what she knew.  Victoria Hand had uncovered the intel about the shrink.  They all work together still.  

Maria had worried about something along the lines of the Sokovia Accords since the Avengers been formed.  It was how she thought, the long game.  She had also started citizenship papers for Pietro, having started the paperwork once Steve had confirmed their assistance.  The last thing she wanted was two key people in their success being left behind to shoulder the blame.  Tony isn't the only one who receives hate mail or mail about lives that could have been.  More than a few cross her desk and as second in command of SHIELD she does her best to shoulder it all, but if it wasn't for Natasha it would break her too.  They aim to safe everyone, every time, but sometimes it can't be done.  

This is one of those times and she won't leave the young Maximoff behind.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't like this. It got away from me so I may come back to it. Meant to update this earlier but got really sick. Updates coming soon.


	4. Mental Check Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's routine

It seems funny in a ridiculous sort of way really, after everything that's happened.  To return to full duty Natasha has to go meet with psych for an evaluation.  Twelve questions that need to be answered before she can be cleared.  

Natasha settles from the therapist with a sigh.  Given her ability to manipulate people, she could bullshit her way out of this, but she's so tired.  The therapist seems good enough, Natasha has worked with her before, it's just the questions that are stupid.  It' all just procedure.

_Have you been experienced or been exposed to a traumatic event?_

_During the traumatic event did you experience or witness serious injury or death or the threat of serious injury or death?_

_Did you feel intense fear horror or helplessness?_

All questions just part of protocol.  

Traumatic event.  Everyone picking sides had felt awful enough and the fight just made things worse because for once Natasha is torn.  She agrees with Tony that signing is better than being forced into these new rules.  Wanda, the young girl looking a mixture of determined but also scared.  Tony trying to placate General Ross.  

Experience serious injury or death?  Most of Natasha's missions involve the possibility of death, but this is her family.  She knows Steve loves Bucky like a brother but Natasha can't get the feeling of his metal hand around her throat out of her head.  At times she still feels phantom fingers there.  

Intense horror or helplessness?  Rhodey may not walk right again, Wanda was subjected to a straight jacket made not just for her but for her powers.  Clint is imprisoned and kept from his kids.  

But she still has Maria.  Maria who had been accompanying Pepper while things unfolded, still working and trying to help from the shadows.  

Twelve boxes.  Maria will have her even without them all completed and here in her arms she feels safe and at home, Maria's breath shifting her hair slightly as she rests her head on Maria's shoulder.  


	5. Sides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I convinced myself that the last person you'd want to see is me.

When Natasha sees Maria again after everything, she doesn't know what to say.  Maria wouldn't let Wanda be confined with that.  She has no trouble picturing the Commander going toe to toe with General Ross.  Or let Clint out to go back to his family.  

But she hadn't been there.  She'd been off with Pepper and not at her post.  So now she doesn't know what to say, neither of them do.  

"I convinced myself that the last person you'd want to see is me" says Maria.  

"Even if we're on the same side?" asks Natasha.  She figured that Maria would side with Stark, having seen it coming and wanted to head off any problems.  

"You know better than anyone that the sides weren't clear cut.  Signing gets us resources and the ability to carry on, but we have more experience with disasters and chaos than the suits do.  It's complicated."  Natasha gives her that one.  She remembers fighting against Wanda and Clint and even though both were pulling their punches, it made her sick to her stomach.  Because it hadn't been sparring.  Nearly everyone was pulling their punches but it didn't mean it didn't hurt, because the trust was gone.  

And then you had Tony's parents.  

Natasha had guessed, but had prayed she was wrong.  It's all a cluster fuck, as Clint would say.  

But that's different and unimportant because right now all she needs is Maria, who opens her arms out to her without hesitation.  


	6. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria reviews the footage of the airport battle.

Natasha is asleep in their bed and Wanda is out on the couch.  Maria is sitting at the small table they eat at, hunched over a laptop.  She watches as her family, with some new additions, battle it out against each other for what they believe is right.  

She's gone over it more then ten times now, it doesn't get any easier to watch.  She had been with Pepper on one of Stark's jets but Tony had sent her an alert and she had watched Tony's point of view as it unfolded.  She had watched as Rhodey fell from the sky and crashed into the hard earth below.  

The only advice her father had given her had been to not have kids.  He had drunkenly explained that they took everything from you, wanted you all the time.  Maria had been young but already knew not to expect anything from him and was wondering if there was a point to his ramble or if it was his usual drunken rant.  Kids keep you from what you want in life.  Wives, are different.  You can leave wives.  

The battle looks like a school brawl to her, especially with the addition of Scott Lang.  

"Look me in the eye and tell me you aren't blaming yourself" says Natasha, jerking Maria from her thoughts.  Maria shrugs.  

It hadn't been her call and Tony had needed an unexpected edge, but Parker was just a kid.  She watches as Steve leaves him holding a semi, struggling slightly, as they talk for a moment and he leaves.  How had he known that Parker could hold that?  He was young and inexperienced and she worries after him.  Just like she worries after Wanda.  Wanda who is too exhausted to have nightmares.  

She cares about all her agents and operatives, but they aren't her children.  Yet she keeps their secrets and does her best to keep them safe.  This time though, all she can do is help manage things and help rebuild.  


End file.
